Home store



S. M. DEBAKEY.

4 HOME STORE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6, I9I9. 1,33%050. Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

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APPLICMIIQN.ELLED SEPT.6l 1919. 133705@ Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

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S. M. DEBAKEY.

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APPLICATIQMILED SEPT. s. 1919.

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APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6. 1919. 1,337,050. Patented-Apr. 13, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4. "Z 56 je czfffzky SHIKER M.. DEBAKEY, OF LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA.

HOME STORE.

Application filed September 6, 1919.

To all Lc'wm it may concern.'

Be it known that l. Sinnen M. DEBAKEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lake Charles, in the parish of Calcasieu and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Home Stores; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in stores, and consists more particularly in an improved plan of a grocery or other store that is intended to promote the convenience of the customer, at the same time reducing the number of clerks or employees of the store, while insuring prompt and accurate service at a minimum expense.

lt is an object of the present invention to so arrange and construct the store that the same will require only two employees in attendance, namely, a cashier and a clerk.

The invention is particularly designed to promote the convenience of children and ladies in shopping, and to handle the customers quickly so that an increased volume of business may be transacted.

The invention will be more fully understood after reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are indicate by similar reference symbols throughout the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view, with parts shown in section, of an improved store constructed in accordance with my present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the improved store, with the walls shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is also a cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 in lF ig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of one portion of the booth showing the refrigerator doors.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 6-6 in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the corner posts of the booth.

Fig. 8 is a similar view of one of the shelves of the booth; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side elevational Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. i3, 1920.

seriai no. 322,155.

view of the track showing one of the buggiee or wagons thereon. Referring more particularly to the drawings. which show only one embodiment of the present invention, 1 designates generally a building for housing the improved store, and 2 designates the doors of the building l` which admit customers from the sidewalk which passes along in front of the doors.

Within the building 1 is a track 3 which passes about the four sides of the building close to the various walls thereon thirty inches above the floor level, and on which are supported buggies or wagons 4 more particularly shown in Fig. 9. As indicated in Fig. 1, a section of the track 3 is removable adjacent the rear doors to allow merchandise to be brought into the store through the rear doors. These wagons or buggies 4 have king pins 5 in each end thereof for swivelly supporting the trucks 6 and 7 for facilitating the cars rounding the corners of the track. The wagons or cars are of suitable size to hold the various commodities purchased by any one customer.

As indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, one end of the track 3 is elevated and inclined as designated at 8, and the highest or starting point of the track is placed close to a counter 9 adapted to -be presided over by the cashier of the store. The other end of the track designated at 10 is shown in IFig. 1 as terminating at one side of the cashiers counter 9 for a purpose to be later described.

An opening 11 made in the front wall of the cashiers counter between the counter and the end 10 of the track is arranged to admit the cashier. As shown in Fig. 3, the inclined end 8 of the track is sufficiently elevated above the entrance to admit customers.

Directly opposite the entrance of the store there is formed a compartment 12 inclosed by a rear partition 13, side partitions 14 and 15 and front partitions 16 and 17, between which is left a wide gap for the free passage .of customers. Within this compartment 12 is preferably placed a soda fountain 18 and suitable tables and chairs 19 and 20, respectively.

A partition or railing 21 extends out from the partition 17 at the left side of the store and bars customers from passing to the left after entering the store.` A small gap or passage 22 is left between the railing 21 and the adjacent side of.. the cashiers stand 9, to permit the customers to pass out from the store after making their purchases and after paying for same at the cashiers counter.

At the right hand side of the storev are arranged rear and side partitions or'rallmgs 23 and 24, respectively, housing a sittlng or rest room 25. The partition or railing 23 of the rest or sitting room 25 and the adj acent front partition 16 of the soda fountain compartment are situated apart so as to provide a passage 26 therebetween for admitting and guiding customers entering the store to the right hand side of the track 3 substantially at the base of the incline 8 where they may take over a wagon or buggy 4 to carry their purchases for them as they -pass through the store.

The customers are compelled to follow a .course through the store following the track 3 and drawing the buggy or wagon 4 after them. i At the rear of the store is a booth designated generally at 27, shown more particularly in Fig. 4, vto be constructed with tiers of'shelves 28 on all four sides of the same, whereon are placed the various commodities offeredv for sale. A clerk has access to the booth through a door 29 in the rear thereof, and it is his duty to weigh and measure bulk goods and to wrap same in packagesV of standard size and weight and place same on the shelves 28. As customers going through the store remove the various commodities from the shelves 28, the clerk within the booth 27 replenishes the same. The clerk has access to the shelves 28, as these shelves are spaced apart and have spaces therebetween communicating with the interior of the booth 27. l

As shown in Fig. 8, the shelves 28 are preferably provided with back portions 29 and with tenons 30 which are adapted to removably fit in the corner posts of the booth 27.

Fig. 7 shows one of these corner posts which is made up in two vertical sections 31 and 32, suitably secured together and having substantially triangular recesses 33 formed therein, with the bases of the recesses adapted to act as supports for the tenons 30 of the shelves 28. Slots 34 are cut through the sides of one of the members, for instance 31, to admit the tenons 30 of the shelves 28, and through these slots 34 the shelves may be removed.

Asl shown in Fig. 1, there isa passage 35 made between the front wall of the booth 27 and the rear partition 13 of the soda fountain compartment 12. Customers may also walk through this passage 35 and secure and remove articlesA from the shelves contained on this side of the booth.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the lower front track.

portion of the booth 27 may provide a refrigerator with compartments 36 and 37, which are accessible through doors 38 and 39,

both from thefront and rear. The clerkl i tilation and illumination may bevobtained in all parts of thestore.

A central fan 42 may also be provided the top of the booth to ventilate the same. In use, customers entering from the sidewalk through the doors 2 of the building pass beneath the elevated portion of the track 8 and are guided by the various railings through the passage 26 to the' lowerl end of track. It

is intended to have the inclined portion 8 of the track contain a large quantity of small wagons or buggies 4.and to have some means, as a loop of wire 43, for holding the lowermost'buggy or wagon 4 against movement, thereby preventing all of the wagons or buggies from running down the inclined portion of the through the passage 26 will remove the looped wire 43 from the first wagon or buggy 4 in line and-will drop the wire loop 43 in front of the successive wagon or? buggy so as to prevent all the wagons or buggies following the one released.

The customer thereupon draws the wagon or buggy released along the track 3, at the same time surveying the various commodities contained on the shelves on `this side of the booth 27. Having selected any particular article, the purchaser himself re moves it from the particular shelf 28 on which it is contained and places it in the wagon or buggy 4 which he has released for his use. After all the articles on this side of the booth have been surveyed, the purchaser draws the wagon or buggy 4 around the track, runningat the back of the store and in like manner'surveys the various commodites displayed at the rear of the booth 27. Subsequently the customer draws the light wagon or buggy 4 from the rear side of the track to the left-hand side thereof and makes such purchases as he desires from this side of the booth, placing all of his purcases in the wagon 4. The purchaser may also walk through the passage 35 and select from the shelves or from the refrigerator any articles desired which hecarries back to the wagon. The wagon, therefore, relieves the customer of the weight of the purchases, while the display of all the commodities 011 customer after having passed y issaoso shelves open to the public permits of the customer serving` himself without the inconvenience, annoyance and delay of having to ask a clerk for the articles desired and wait for the clerk, to weigh or measure and wrap such articles.

After making all of his purchases, the customer draws the wagon forwardly along the left-hand portion of the track up to the cashiers counter 9, where the cashier takes hold of the wagon and draws same into the extended portion 10 Aof the track opposite the space within the cashiers-stand, and where the4 cashier may have eary access to the contents of the wagon. he cashier thereupon removes all of the various articles from the wagon, placing them upon the counter 9 and itemizing the same. The purchaser is then informed of the total cost of the various purchases, which he pays the cashier, and .thereafter passes out through' the passage 22. The arrangement is such as to cause all purchasers to pass out by the cashiers stand, and to thereby avoid loss from unscrupulous persons making away with the goods.

It will be obvious that modifications might be made in the herein described construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts which could be used without de arting from the spirit of my invention.

aving thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a store, a track havingan inclined starting portion and passing about within the store, means for holding goods near the track so as to be removed by purchasers, vehicles traveling on the track for containing the purchases of customers and adapted to be drawn along by the customers, passages guiding the customers when entering the store to the base of the inclined portion of the track, and a cashiers stand between the end of the track and the inclined portion, the track adapted to uide the urchasers to the cashiers stan substantially as described.

2. In a store, a booth in the rear portion of the store having shelves for displaying goods in condition for removal by purchasers, a track having an inclined startind portion passing about the sides of the boot very close to the same, for guiding purchasers thereabout, vehicles runnin on the track, an arrangement of railing or guid.

ing purchasers to the lower end of the inclined portion of the track, and a cashiers stand arranged between the elevated starting portion of the track and the end of the track substantially as described.

3. In a store, a track arranged about the walls of the store and following a substantially rectangular path of travel with the starting portion of the track elevated and inclined and arranged near the opposite end thereof, the track forming a guide to direct the customers about the store, wheeled vehicles traveling on said track and adapted to contain the purchases vof the customers, 'railing adapted to guide customers entering the store to the base of the inclined portion of the track where they may receive a Vehicle, means for holding goods near the track for the inspection and removal by the customers, and a cashiers stand placed between the elevated starting portion of the track and the opposite end thereof whereby the cashier may remove and check the articles from the vehicles and may afterward be in position to remove the vehicle from theend of the track and place the same on the elevated startinig portion thereof,

substantially as describe 4:. In a store, a track running about the walls of the store in substantially rectangular formation and having flanges at the sides thereof, the starting and end portions of the track being spaced apart and the starting portion being elevated and inclined, wheeled vehicles running on the track, means for confining the vehicles on the inclined portion, railing in the store adapted to guide purchasers to the lower end of the inclined starting portion of the track wh'ere the may release said vehicle holding means an assume the custody of one of the ve-l hicles, a cabinet in the store havin its sides arranged near the track for ho din goods for the inspection and removal o customers, the goods adapted to be placed in the vehicles and the vehicles drawn along by the customers as they pass through the store and a cashiers standy between the starting portion and the end of the track whereb the cashier may remove the oods from t e vehicles and afterward shi the vehicle from the end of the track to the elevated starting portion, substantially as described.

SHIKER M. DEBAKEY. 

